Hickeys Possibly 1989 - 1994

Jim Goldberg created this black and white photograph, titled "Hickeys," sometime after his birth in 1953. Goldberg often engages with social issues, particularly those affecting marginalized communities. This photograph presents us with a close-up portrait of a young person marked with hickeys. The image's power lies in its directness and the questions it raises about youth, sexuality, and vulnerability. Goldberg is working in a documentary tradition that asks us to confront realities often unseen or ignored by mainstream society. What are the social dynamics at play? What does it mean to display these marks publicly? To understand this image fully, we could research the cultural contexts of youth and sexuality during the period it was created. Photographic archives, sociological studies, and oral histories can all shed light on the complex social forces at play in this evocative work. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.